"and a malletman that held on to the side of the car and would attempt to hit a regulation-sized basketball toward the goal of the opposing team with the cars reaching a top speed of and while making hairpin turns. The mallets were shaped like croquet mallets but had a three-pound head to prevent ""backfire"" when striking the ball at high speeds. Due to the nature of the sport, cars would often collide with each other and become entangled, with malletmen frequently thrown from the cars. Installation of rollcages over the radiator and rear platforms of the cars helped prevent"
"ball, slightly larger than the hard field polo ball. Standard mallets are used, though slightly larger head ""arena mallets"" are an option. Although the exact origins of the game are unknown it most likely began as a simple game played by mounted nomads of Iranian and Turkic origin in Central Asia, from where it spread to Persia and beyond. In time polo became a Persian national sport played extensively by the nobility. Women played as well as men. China, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan all have claimed to be the birthplace of polo. Valuable for training cavalry, the game was"
"rider. Variable lengths of the mallet typically range from to . The term ""mallet"" is used exclusively in US English; British English prefers the term ""polo stick"". The ball is struck with the broad sides of the mallet head rather than its round and flat tips. Polo saddles are English-style, close contact, similar to jumping saddles; although most polo saddles lack a flap under the billets. Some players will not use a saddle blanket. The saddle has a flat seat and no knee support; the rider adopting a forward-leaning seat and closed knees dissimilar to a classical dressage seat. A"
"in a repeat of the North American final. National championships are held in countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and Germany. Hardcourt Bike Polo Hardcourt Bike Polo is a variation of traditional Bicycle Polo in which teams of players ride bicycles and use mallets to strike a small ball into a goal. It may also be referred to as ""Hardcourt"", ""Urban Bike Polo"" or simply ""Bike Polo"". There are two types of hardcourt bike polo. One is the traditional style called ""3v3"", which is a team consisting of 3 players and games are usually around 10-15"
"between the posts below the crossbar, while in others, such as those based on rugby, the ball must pass over the crossbar instead. Nets are used for tennis, volleyball, football, basketball, hockey and badminton. A different type of net is used for various forms of fishing. Racquets are used for racquet sports such as tennis, squash and badminton. Fishing rods and fishing tackle are primarily used for fishing and sport fishing. Sticks are used for sports such as hockey and lacrosse. Bats are used for sports such as baseball and cricket. Clubs are used mainly for golf (Golf club) Wickets"
"the court at one time, but there is a bench of players that can be substituted throughout the game. Squad format games tend to be longer in duration, typically 30-60 minutes. There is usually a team captain in charge of substitutions, who may or may not be a player. Rather than use traditional wooden polo mallets, Hardcourt Bike Polo players started making handmade mallets in the spirit of the DIY ethic. Since then, a number of companies have appeared, which are producing more distinct equipment, specifically for bike polo. Typical mallets are constructed using heads made from UHMW, and aluminium"
"lively ball. The polo mallet comprises a cane shaft with a rubber-wrapped grip, a webbed thong, called a sling, for wrapping around the thumb, and a wooden cigar-shaped head. The shaft is made of manau-cane (not bamboo, which is hollow) although a small number of mallets today are made from composite materials. Composite materials are usually not preferred by top players because the shaft of composite mallets can't absorb vibrations as well as traditional cane mallets. The mallet head is generally made from a hardwood called tipa, approximately 9"" inches long. The mallet head weighs from to , depending on"
"shields. A shirt or jersey is required that distinguishes the player's team, and is not black and white stripes like an umpire shirt. White polo pants or trousers are worn during official play. Polo gloves are commonly worn to protect from working the reins and mallet. Not permitted is any equipment that may harm horses, like certain spurs or whips. The modern outdoor polo ball is made of a high-impact plastic. Historically they have been made of bamboo, leather covered cork, hard rubber, and for many years willow root. Originally the British used a white painted leather covered cricket ball."
"dictionaries. In Samuel Johnson's 1828 dictionary, his definition of ""Pall mall"" clearly describes a game with similarities to modern croquet: ""A play in which the ball is struck with a mallet through an iron ring"". In his unpublished memoir the writer Oswell Blakeston reports seeing it played at ""the only pub that still has a green for this game"" in the late 1930s. It was played in a long alley with an iron hoop suspended over the ground at the end. The object was to strike a boxwood ball of unknown circumference (a modern croquet ball is normally in diameter,"
"player preference and the type of wood used, and the shaft can vary in weight and flexibility depending on the player's preference. The weight of the mallet head is of important consideration for the more seasoned players. Female players often use lighter mallets than male players. For some polo players, the length of the mallet depends on the size of the horse: the taller the horse, the longer the mallet. However, some players prefer to use a single length of mallet regardless of the height of the horse. Either way, playing horses of differing heights requires some adjustment by the"
"participate in a polo tradition called ""divot stamping"", which was developed not only to help replace the mounds of earth (divots) that are torn up by the horses' hooves, but also to afford spectators the opportunity to walk about and socialise. Polo is played professionally in many countries, notably Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Iran, India, New Zealand, Mexico, Pakistan, Jamaica, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and is now an active sport in 77 countries, and although its tenure as an Olympic sport was limited to 1900–1939, in 1998 the International Olympic"
"polo helmets being worn in batting practice, there is no evidence of their being used or worn in a game. The first documented team to wear helmets in a game was the Des Moines Demons of the Western League. They also used polo helmets but the idea did not stick, as they only wore the helmets for one game. The first professional baseball league to fully adopt the baseball helmet was the International League, which did so in 1939 when the list of official equipment used began to include a ""safety cap or helmet"". Buster Mills was the first player"
"Hardcourt Bike Polo Hardcourt Bike Polo is a variation of traditional Bicycle Polo in which teams of players ride bicycles and use mallets to strike a small ball into a goal. It may also be referred to as ""Hardcourt"", ""Urban Bike Polo"" or simply ""Bike Polo"". There are two types of hardcourt bike polo. One is the traditional style called ""3v3"", which is a team consisting of 3 players and games are usually around 10-15 minutes in length. The other form is ""Squad"". Squad is a team of 5-6 players and games are between 30-60 minutes, allowing for substitutions. Typically,"
"Ringette Ringette is a team sport with two variations, an indoor and an outdoor version. The winter sport is played on an ice rink. One indoor court version is called gym ringette. The game objective is to outscore the opposing team. The sport is played on an ice surface, primarily by females, and requires the use of ice hockey skates. The sport uses a blue rubber pneumatic ring and all players, with the exception of goaltenders, use a straight stick with no blade. One of the sport's most recognizable and defining features is the fact that it does not involve"
"In Valencia, Valencian pilota is considered the national sport; it is also played in Belgium, North of Italy, Mexico, and Argentina. Since its creation, the International Federation of Basque Pelota has standardised the different varieties into four modalities and fourteen disciplines, with fixed ball weights, rules and court sizes. The four modalities— wall, wall, wall and ""trinquete""—admit fourteen disciplines, depending the use of bare hand, leather ball, rubber ball, ""paleta"" (pelota paleta), racket (frontennis) and ""xare"". Two of the fourteen disciplines are played by both men and women (frontenis and rubber pelota in trinquete); the other twelve are played only"
"A regulation match consists of four 8 minute quarters, known in polo as ""chukkers."" The ball can be struck with the mallet or any part of a player’s body or Segway but may only be directed using the mallet. A goal can not be scored off of any part of a player’s body or Segway unless it occurs accidentally. Although not a major sport, Segway polo is gaining popularity and teams have begun forming in the United States, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Barbados, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, Holland and Spain among others. The International Segway Polo Association (ISPA) has been established"
"a game. After the Muslim conquests to the Ayyubid and Mameluke dynasties of Egypt and the Levant, their elites favoured it above all other sports. Notable sultans such as Saladin and Baybars were known to play it and encourage it in their court. Polo sticks were features on the Mameluke precursor to modern day playing cards. The game spread to South Asia where it has had a strong presence in the north western areas of present-day Pakistan (including Gilgit, Chitral, Hunza and Baltistan) since at least the 15th-16th century. The name ""polo"" is said to have been derived from the"
"Mallet A mallet is a kind of hammer, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head. The term is descriptive of the overall size and proportions of the tool, and not the materials it may be made of, though most mallets have striking faces that are softer than steel. Mallets are used in various industries, such as upholstery work, and a variety of other general purposes. It is a tool of preference for wood workers using chisels with plastic, metal, or wooden handles, as they give"
"above the water. The ball can be thrown by hand, or flicked with the paddle to pass between players and shoot at the goal. Pitches can be set up in swimming pools or any stretch of flat water. The kayaks are specifically designed for polo and are faster and lighter than typical kayaks which give them superior maneuverability. The blades of a polo paddle have thick rounded edges to prevent injury. Paddles are also very lightweight and designed with both pulling power and ball control in mind. Nose and tail boat bumpers, body protection, helmets and face-guards are all compulsory."
"the year. The sport waned in popularity during the late 1920s, mostly due to the high cost of replacing vehicles, but did have a brief resurgence in the Midwestern United States after World War II. A recent variant of auto polo played with motorcycles, called ""moto polo"", was developed in Rwanda in 2008 by Sam and James Dargan. The game is played in 15-minute quarters with five players per team using mallets to hit a ball made of banana leaves. The sport has few definite rules beyond ""motorcyclists cannot use their feet to kick the ball and players cannot stick"
"involves hitting wooden or plastic with a mallet through a series of hoops. Croquet became popular in England in the 1860s. In the United States, the game is governed by the National Croquet Association, which coordinates annual tournaments. Several variations of the game exist. Pétanque is a form of bowls and boules where the goal is to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a ""cochonnet"" (literally ""piglet"") or jack, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground. Pétanque has been described as ""the world's most played form of bowls."""
"the federations, there are professional competitions such as the League of Companies of Basque Pilota. The International Jai-Alai Players Association is a union defending the players of Jai Alai. The International Federation of Basque Pelota has organized the Basque Pelota World Championships since 1952. The current medal table from 1952 to 2014 is as follows: Other modalities Basque pelota Basque pelota ("""" in the original Basque language also """" in Spanish, """" in French) is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a"
"working or less damaged sled and to unlock it for use in later levels. Rocket Ball is a twist on polo or soccer/football. Facing an opposing ""team"" which ranges from one to several independently acting computer opponents, the goal is to score as many points as possible in a set amount of time. Players can steal the ball from opponents, or eliminate them outright, while navigating the field and scoring goals with the sometimes explosive balls. Referees run around the arena after the player on foot. They never mount a sled but will sometimes try to kick jockeys around the"
"Basque pelota Basque pelota ("""" in the original Basque language also """" in Spanish, """" in French) is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (""frontis or Fronton"") or, more traditionally, with two teams face to face separated by a line on the ground or a net. The roots of this class of games can be traced to the Greek and other ancient cultures. The term """" probably comes from the Vulgar Latin term ""pilotta"" (ball game). It is a diminutive"
"Croquet Croquet is a sport that involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops (often called ""wickets"" in the United States) embedded in a grass playing court. The oldest document to bear the word ""croquet"" with a description of the modern game is the set of rules registered by Isaac Spratt in November 1856 with the Stationers' Company in London. This record is now in the Public Record Office. In 1868, the first croquet all-comers meet was held at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire and in the same year the All England Croquet Club was formed at Wimbledon, London. Regardless"
"use mallets with long fiberglass shafts and hard rubber heads. The horse breed most often used for cowboy polo is the American Quarter Horse, due to its agility. Unlike regular polo, where multiple horses are used within a single game, riders do not change horses between chukkas, but instead are only allowed two horses, and in some competitions are required to ride one horse throughout. This ability to compete with relatively few animals has given the sport its nickname, the ""average man's"" sport. Horses competing in cowboy polo are often older, experienced animals with steady dispositions who have come to"
"by men. This allows championship play at the international level, and allows the participation of players and teams from around the world using the same rules. There is, however, criticism about this, since purists might argue that some of the original traits of each particular modality could be lost. Even with protection, accidents do happen. With the ball easily travelling at , pelota can kill if safety equipment is not used properly or at all; while rare, occasional deaths do occur. The origin of this sport is tied to the decline of the ancient jeu de paume (jeu de paume"
"Matkot Matkot ( lit. ""racquets"") is a popular Padel ball game in Israel similar to beach tennis, often referred to by Israelis as their national beach sport. Matkot has been played on the Israeli beaches since the 1920s. Early documentation of the game includes a 1932 Tel Aviv beach scene by Israeli artist Nahum Gutman showing two young men holding rounded paddles and hitting a ball back and forth on the beach. The goal of the game is to hit a small rubber ball with a wooden racket as many times as possible without dropping it. Two or more players"
"Pelota mixteca Pelota mixteca (""Mixtec-style ball"") is a team sport similar to a net-less tennis game. The players wear sturdy, elaborately decorated gloves affixed to a heavy flat striking surface, using them to strike a small solid ball. The game has roots extending back hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of years. Today, the game is played in the Mexican state of Oaxaca and Guerrero and in emigrant communities including those in the Mexico City, Los Angeles and Fresno areas. The members of each five-player team take their positions on one-half of a long narrow court—roughly 100 m long by 11 m"
"goal line with the wide end of the mallet is called a ""shuffle"". When your team scores a goal, you wait back in your end for the other team (player or ball, whichever comes first) to cross half before engaging in play again. The North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Association has created an official ruleset, which has helped standardize rules across the globe. The game was invented in County Wicklow, Ireland, in 1891 by retired champion cyclist Richard J. Mecredy, editor of ""The Irish Cyclist"" magazine. In October of that year the first cycle polo match was played at the"
"All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon is famous for its lawn tennis tournament, but retains an active croquet section. There are also clubs in many Universities and Colleges, with an annual Varsity match being played between Oxford and Cambridge. With over 1800 participants, the 2011 Oxford University ""Cuppers"" (inter-college) tournament claimed to be not only the largest croquet tournament ever, but the largest sporting event in the university's history. Croquet Croquet is a sport that involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops (often called ""wickets"" in the United States) embedded in a grass"
"the neck stretched out, rather than a high neck. Gag bits are also occasionally seen in western-style competition, usually in the form of a sliding mouthpiece on a shanked curb-style bit (similar to the American gag). The gag bit normally is used with two sets of reins; one on the bit ring that does not apply gag leverage, and the other on the small ring attached to the cord or rolled leather strap of the gag bridle cheekpiece. This allows for the bit to be used as a normal snaffle, with gag action used only when needed. Polo players, who"
"a softened strike with a positive drive. It is the most commonly used mallet. Less common mallets include: Mallets of various types are some of the oldest forms of tools, and have been found in stone age gravesites. Mallets used as drumsticks are often used to strike a marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, metallophone, or vibraphone, collectively referred to as mallet percussion. The sticks usually have shafts made of rattan, birch, or fiberglass. Rattan shafts are more flexible than the other materials. Heads vary in size, shape, and material; they may be made of metal, plastic, rubber, or wood, and some are"